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Dark Shadow of Babylon
A professor and a team of college students during an archaeological dig on an isle in the United Kingdom discover a hidden tomb in the modern world.
The tomb unbeknownst to them was a prison based on the designs of an unearthly force. A sinister spirit subsequently breaks free from it's prison -with tragic consequences- and a promise to bring doom to the living and the dead.
So begins the tale (book 1 Dark Shadow of Babylon) of a private war that will go public between good and evil. The chain of events begins on a battlefield in 61 AD during the final Roman invasion of the isle of Druids spiraling to the modern world.
In the modern world four individuals will cross paths and together face a deadly entity that once lived in the ancient and biblical lands of Babylonia.
The tomb unbeknownst to them was a prison based on the designs of an unearthly force. A sinister spirit subsequently breaks free from it's prison -with tragic consequences- and a promise to bring doom to the living and the dead.
So begins the tale (book 1 Dark Shadow of Babylon) of a private war that will go public between good and evil. The chain of events begins on a battlefield in 61 AD during the final Roman invasion of the isle of Druids spiraling to the modern world.
In the modern world four individuals will cross paths and together face a deadly entity that once lived in the ancient and biblical lands of Babylonia.
- GenresHorror
408 pages, Paperback
First published November 7, 2014
254 people want to read
About the author
Julian Speed
1 book10 followersJulian Speed was born in Indianapolis Indiana. While staying active in junior high school and high school athletics, he acquired a taste for writing through reading several fantasy and sci-fi novels.
Julian planned to attend college and pursue a degree in journalism, however he graduated with a bachelor's degree in Business Management from Indiana University.
He served in the U.S. military and is currently working in the financial services industry.
Julian planned to attend college and pursue a degree in journalism, however he graduated with a bachelor's degree in Business Management from Indiana University.
He served in the U.S. military and is currently working in the financial services industry.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 5, 2017
I was provided a free copy by the author for this novel, in return for an honest review. I would like to say here that I was pretty hooked to its title and the description. But as I started reading, I found it difficult to keep up. With much effort I pulled through half way. And then I had to stop. Trust me, I felt bad upon doing this but it was getting difficult for me to read on, so it’s comes in the listing of half – finished books for me.
The plot was good, no doubt, but the author seemed to be on a writing marathon and simply wrote too much. It was as if he was intent on stretching an essay by giving in extra detailing of each and every scene in hopes of getting A grade in exams. The writing was amateur, I must say. Though the efforts were well put in, but something was lacking, I suppose the composure, the finesse, the depth, but sure there was a lot of excitement to create a masterpiece that was clearly shining through. With all sincerity I would like to propose creating a comics/graphic novel out of the same, and I am sure it’ll be a hit. The way scenes have been described would fit in well if the author thinks of creating comics.
A lot of readers out there absolutely loved the novel, but I guess this book isn't for me. People who love descriptive writing must give it a shot.
The plot was good, no doubt, but the author seemed to be on a writing marathon and simply wrote too much. It was as if he was intent on stretching an essay by giving in extra detailing of each and every scene in hopes of getting A grade in exams. The writing was amateur, I must say. Though the efforts were well put in, but something was lacking, I suppose the composure, the finesse, the depth, but sure there was a lot of excitement to create a masterpiece that was clearly shining through. With all sincerity I would like to propose creating a comics/graphic novel out of the same, and I am sure it’ll be a hit. The way scenes have been described would fit in well if the author thinks of creating comics.
A lot of readers out there absolutely loved the novel, but I guess this book isn't for me. People who love descriptive writing must give it a shot.
December 10, 2017
I got this book for free as a part of Booktasters in exchange for an honest review.
I wanted to love this book. I really, really did, because in theory it sounds amazing. The plot idea is great - the execution, however, was not. It was overly ambitious, every background character had a background story, and the pace was ever changing. Some bits were dragged out whereas parts of the book that needed a bit more attention felt rushed and lost in the overwhelming crowd of characters. The ideas are great, the main plot line was clever and the additional information interesting, it was just a bit too much. The first half of the book was enjoyable, and the character Eva was intriguing in every way.
I wanted to love this book. I really, really did, because in theory it sounds amazing. The plot idea is great - the execution, however, was not. It was overly ambitious, every background character had a background story, and the pace was ever changing. Some bits were dragged out whereas parts of the book that needed a bit more attention felt rushed and lost in the overwhelming crowd of characters. The ideas are great, the main plot line was clever and the additional information interesting, it was just a bit too much. The first half of the book was enjoyable, and the character Eva was intriguing in every way.
May 20, 2015
If the cover of the 'Dark Shadow of Babylon' by Julian Speed doesn't give you the creeps and scream horror, paranormal, and suspense, I know the book will. In fact, I wasn't expecting near as much as this book provides but since it is a rather long book (approx. 404 pages) I was pleased every page was just as unnerving to me as the last one. Between the suspense and fear I was able to keep turning page after page and read on, enjoying the action, death, and so much more.
Not all the characters in the book are human (at least not any longer) so it is hard to actually say how believable or realistic they are however I did enjoy all the characters. They were developed nicely and didn't leave me in the dark about which were human and which weren't. I liked that all the characters made sense and they were not just random characters in the book but followed the plot and a legend or myth known which is what explained their presence. Each had their own distinct personality or existence and the characters varied from terrifying to amusing.
The opening of the book is in 61AD during the Roman Invasion although the majority of the book takes place in modern day (2012) in West Virginia. The author wrote a great description of the book so you can read that for yourself. I feel there is no need for me to recap it but there is one thing I want to touch on about what the author wrote in his description. He wrote, "Dark Shadow of Babylon is a horror/paranormal novel with light elements of suspense." While I do agree compared to the paranormal/horror of the story , the suspense is less dominate but I personally think he is too modest and downplayed the suspense. By the very nature of his writing, suspense is projected in the sentences. A perfect example is, "They looked at each other with worrisome expressions and said not a word. The screams on the circus grounds had ceased and silence seemed to be the only thing that kept them company as they nervously looked around expecting something to jump out at them at any minute." The whole novel is encrusted with this building type of suspense as well.
I thought this novel was great and I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who loves paranormal, horror, and suspense.
Not all the characters in the book are human (at least not any longer) so it is hard to actually say how believable or realistic they are however I did enjoy all the characters. They were developed nicely and didn't leave me in the dark about which were human and which weren't. I liked that all the characters made sense and they were not just random characters in the book but followed the plot and a legend or myth known which is what explained their presence. Each had their own distinct personality or existence and the characters varied from terrifying to amusing.
The opening of the book is in 61AD during the Roman Invasion although the majority of the book takes place in modern day (2012) in West Virginia. The author wrote a great description of the book so you can read that for yourself. I feel there is no need for me to recap it but there is one thing I want to touch on about what the author wrote in his description. He wrote, "Dark Shadow of Babylon is a horror/paranormal novel with light elements of suspense." While I do agree compared to the paranormal/horror of the story , the suspense is less dominate but I personally think he is too modest and downplayed the suspense. By the very nature of his writing, suspense is projected in the sentences. A perfect example is, "They looked at each other with worrisome expressions and said not a word. The screams on the circus grounds had ceased and silence seemed to be the only thing that kept them company as they nervously looked around expecting something to jump out at them at any minute." The whole novel is encrusted with this building type of suspense as well.
I thought this novel was great and I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who loves paranormal, horror, and suspense.
May 31, 2015
Spanning centuries, a dark shadow is buried beneath the ground, waiting for his chance to rise again. It comes in the form of naive college students who, guided by a dark hand, begin to excavate his tomb and let him out to feast once again. As soon as he reunites with his conspirators, a hell so tormented will be released that no one will be beyond his grasp, not on this earthly plane or others. Only those who put him in the ground once can put him back, and only if they can reunite reincarnated.
Dark Shadow of Babylon is a paranormal chiller, and those with weak stomachs should note the gore content. While the bones of a good story lies in the book (hahahaha) it is really in need of editing. There are a lot of characters - some reincarnations of other characters - and there are so many types of paranormal activities that it’s hard to reconcile them all in the same space. In fact I think that a character named Pamela’s name changed to Emily by the end of the story, but I’m honestly not sure if it was the same character or not. It seems pretty clear that this is supposed to be at least a trilogy, and I think that it is a story that needs to be completed, just with some focus on the main point, which is preventing the original shadows from reuniting, because that story is quite compelling. I’m hoping that now that the main cast has been established the rest of the story will focus on them a bit more.
Dark Shadow of Babylon is a paranormal chiller, and those with weak stomachs should note the gore content. While the bones of a good story lies in the book (hahahaha) it is really in need of editing. There are a lot of characters - some reincarnations of other characters - and there are so many types of paranormal activities that it’s hard to reconcile them all in the same space. In fact I think that a character named Pamela’s name changed to Emily by the end of the story, but I’m honestly not sure if it was the same character or not. It seems pretty clear that this is supposed to be at least a trilogy, and I think that it is a story that needs to be completed, just with some focus on the main point, which is preventing the original shadows from reuniting, because that story is quite compelling. I’m hoping that now that the main cast has been established the rest of the story will focus on them a bit more.
October 11, 2015
This cover is so creepy. This is a perfect book for Halloween or any time you want to read a creepy tale. It should appeal to fans of Buffy and Supernatural. I know I love a story where all hell is about to break loose and a small group of people are out there to stop it from happening.
I really enjoyed this book. Sometimes it can get confusing where are a bunch of characters but Julian does it in a way that isn't confusing. Frederick is one of the ones chosen to deal with this dark shadow that is determined to burst free and wreak havoc.
This is quite a journey that is jam packed full of action from start to finish. There is a lot going on here since it is pretty crazy. You have the skeptic and the one that wants to run away. Throw in some devil worshipers and you have one wacky tale that has great characters coming together in the craziest of circumstances. I am eager to find out more because the ending just didn't feel like it was the end of this world.
http://www.ficgal.com/book-club/dark-...
I really enjoyed this book. Sometimes it can get confusing where are a bunch of characters but Julian does it in a way that isn't confusing. Frederick is one of the ones chosen to deal with this dark shadow that is determined to burst free and wreak havoc.
This is quite a journey that is jam packed full of action from start to finish. There is a lot going on here since it is pretty crazy. You have the skeptic and the one that wants to run away. Throw in some devil worshipers and you have one wacky tale that has great characters coming together in the craziest of circumstances. I am eager to find out more because the ending just didn't feel like it was the end of this world.
http://www.ficgal.com/book-club/dark-...
May 24, 2015
In 61 AD, the Romans attempted to overtake a druid isle unsuccessfully. Once the battle was over, a dark spirit named Thaddeus, along with two of his followers were contained, and dispersed to be hidden separately for all time. Centuries later, Thaddeus is inadvertently loosed and goes looking for his two cohorts, to continue his evil plan, leaving death and destruction in his wake. The only ones capable of again containing him are descendants of the three who were instrumental in Thaddeus’ original capture.
This story is not for the faint-of-heart. The plot was easy to follow, with a few twists thrown in. I instantly connected with the characters that were in present time. With a concentration on paranormal action, and deeply evil characters, dead, as well as alive, it had me reading with the lights on, watching for shadows to appear. I do not suggest reading this right before bedtime. Even so, I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it.
This story is not for the faint-of-heart. The plot was easy to follow, with a few twists thrown in. I instantly connected with the characters that were in present time. With a concentration on paranormal action, and deeply evil characters, dead, as well as alive, it had me reading with the lights on, watching for shadows to appear. I do not suggest reading this right before bedtime. Even so, I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it.
January 14, 2015
An outstanding read, deserves more than 5 stars in my opinion. A tale of reincarnation, horror and the paranormal. A tale that starts in 61AD with four legions of Roman soldiers going into battle and continues to the present day. A tale of unimaginable horror. A tale of an evil man hell bent on obtaining an ancient scroll by whatever means possible. Mr. Speed has written an outstanding book, it left me wanting more which surely hope there will be as this tale doesn't seem to be over by any means.
May 4, 2016
I received a free copy of Dark Shadow of Babylon for an unbiased review.
I am really sorry... The premise for the book is solid, but I just couldn't get past the writing. Perhaps there are some out there who will like this style, but the writing was very choppy and read like an assignment from a high school English class. I am not a paid critic, I don't do this as a living, but there are too many well written works out there for me to try to struggle through something like this. I feel like I'm being cruel... but there it is.
I am really sorry... The premise for the book is solid, but I just couldn't get past the writing. Perhaps there are some out there who will like this style, but the writing was very choppy and read like an assignment from a high school English class. I am not a paid critic, I don't do this as a living, but there are too many well written works out there for me to try to struggle through something like this. I feel like I'm being cruel... but there it is.
August 24, 2017
The finding of an evil creature buried ages ago in a subterranean structure, which is unearthed by an archeological team of students, leads to atrocious events for the humans that cross paths with it. Until three young people, the chosen ones and reborn from ancient times, Frederick, Mira and Antonio with the help of the gypsy woman Eva, put up the fight against this evil.
This is a real horror book with very graphic descriptions of the terrible happenings in the story. It has been a long read, but enteraining and interesting when I quickly passed over the descriptions of the terrible events, and focused on the more important events of the story. The characters are very well described, including their internal struggles regarding this adventure and the fact to believe in their own strength and abilities in order to fight evil.
This is a real horror book with very graphic descriptions of the terrible happenings in the story. It has been a long read, but enteraining and interesting when I quickly passed over the descriptions of the terrible events, and focused on the more important events of the story. The characters are very well described, including their internal struggles regarding this adventure and the fact to believe in their own strength and abilities in order to fight evil.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews